May 26 – Jun 1, 2021
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Mount Dora’s Modernism Museum reopens after pandemic hiatus with some Bowie furniture on display
After a lengthy hiatus during the pandemic, the Modernism Museum in downtown Mount Dora is fully reopening its doors to the general public. The unique gallery has for several years now been spotlighting its collection of furniture created by Ettore Sottsass and other members of the Italian design movement Memphis, with the added attraction that…
The Silver Spurs Rodeo returns to Kissimmee this weekend
At its most basic level, riding a bucking bronco or bull comes down to holding on. And the Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee has held on through a lot in its 77 years. The Old Florida institution is coming out the gate hot now that live events are back on. The 146th edition of the…
Shaggy and Flo Rida team up with Orlando attorney Dan Newlin for free show for local health care workers
Shaggy (now a Florida resident!) and Flo Rida are teaming up to play an Orlando show this summer, but it’s not your usual concert. Orlando attorney Dan Newlin has united the hitmaking duo for a free show as a thank-you just for local “health care heroes.” Going down on Saturday, July 17, at the Hard…
Fifth Annual CommUnity Rainbow Run and Family Festival happening this Saturday
The Fifth Annual CommUnity Rainbow Run & Family Festival is a three-for-one: a way to get active, a celebration of Pride Month and a benefit for the victims of the Pulse shooting. The 4.9K Rainbow Run kicks off from Wadeview Park on Saturday, June 5 at 7 a.m. The event also offers an Old Town…
Legal Public Notices 06/02 issue
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices AUCTION Extra Space Storage – Store 8138 1001 Lee Rd. Orlando FL. 32810 Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below belonging to those individuals listed below at the location indicated: June 11, 2021 @ 12:00 PM Paul White – Household Goods. The auction will…
Wild Fork Foods, a meat and seafood market, is coming to the corner of Fairbanks and Orlando avenues in Winter Park
If you’ve driven past the busy corner of Fairbanks and South Orlando avenues in Winter Park recently, you’ve likely noticed that the Mattress One that sat there for many years has been laid to eternal rest. In its place will soon stand Wild Fork Foods, a Miami-based meat-and-seafood market offering more than 700 products ranging…
Orlando’s first Portillo’s serving customers prior to grand opening
Those who have been anticipating Portillo’s Orlando opening for months might be surprised to know the new restaurant is already serving hungry customers. Portillo’s grand opening is scheduled for June 15 at 10 a.m., but the restaurant is in the middle of a soft opening where anyone can grab a pre-opening meal while the store trains…
WWE returns to Orlando with live event and television taping set for August
A familiar face around the Amway Center last year, World Wrestling Entertainment over the weekend announced a summer return to the City Beautiful as the wrestling giant resumes live events with crowds. WWE has — with a couple of exceptions, like Wrestlemania — not had much in the way of fan attendance at pay-per-views and television tapings…
Online pizza sensation Brad’s Underground Pizza to move to brick-and-mortar store in Curry Ford West
Brad’s Underground Pizzeria is going aboveboard. The Instagram sensation is growing into a brick-and-mortar space after the order-by-app system became untenable. The digital pop-up pizza purveyor started during the pandemic made housebound Orlando crowds go wild — eventually, the system devolved into a sort of “order now, receive a pizza … someday” situation. The current…
Orange County Sheriff’s Office Deputy suspended for posting dancing videos to TikTok
An Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputy was suspended for uploading TikTok dance videos while in uniform. According to a report from WKMG, Deputy Shelby Abramson received a three-week suspension due to “unbecoming conduct and insubordination.” The agency prohibits employees from posting content that could potentially be seen as negative and warns them about sharing social media content…
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announces run for governor against Ron DeSantis
Florida Department of Agriculture head Nikki Fried is officially running for governor. The state’s only statewide elected Democrat filed papers with the Department of Elections on Tuesday that showed she plans to take on incumbent Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022. Fried has been an outspoken critic of DeSantis since they both took office in…
Okeechobee Music x Arts Festival announces big Florida return in 2022
Okeechobee Music x Arts Festival has just announced a return to Florida’s Sunshine Grove for a fifth time on March 3-6, 2022. And there’s a limited pre-sale if you want to make double-sure you don’t miss all the action. Starting at noon this Thursday, June 3, general admission and VIP ticket and camping packages will be…
Orlando activists to hold #ProtectTransKids rally at City Hall tonight
Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked off LGBTQ Pride Month on Tuesday in prime bigoted fashion by signing a bill barring young transgender athletes from participating in school athletics. So Orlando activists will be marking the day as well, with a #ProtectTransKids rally at City Hall on Tuesday night, June 1. (That’s tonight!) At Orlando City Hall…
LeBron James said he’d rather retire than play for Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic has been light on superstars for quite a while and LeBron James isn’t about to fix that. On a recent episode of James’ talk show, The Shop, James said he’d rather quit basketball than be traded to Orlando. Sorry, Orlando… it’s nothing personal 👑🤣 #TheShopHBO pic.twitter.com/b2FYpI12kP — UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) May 29, 2021…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bigoted bill barring transgender athletes from participating in high school, college athletics
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Tuesday that would bar transgender student-athletes from competing alongside other women and girls. In front of a crowd in Jacksonville on the first day of Pride Month, DeSantis signed the bill into law, combating the non-issue of transgender women gaining an unfair advantage over their fellow athletes.…
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz tricked into sharing photo of Lee Harvey Oswald on Memorial Day
Tricking conservatives into sharing photos of terrible people is a time-honored tradition on social media. Trollish leftists frequently get clueless posters to amplify photos of people who served in the military and went on to do questionable things, from mass shooter Chris Dorner to famous assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Few people are as good at…
Zebra Coalition transforming an old hotel into housing for homeless youth
The old Davis Park Motel will be a new home for about 35 homeless youths. The Zebra Coalition is an organization that assists LGBTQ+ youth from ages 13 to 24 with supportive services and housing. The organization plans to take over a portion of the building and create its first stand-alone housing building for youth…
Sugar Dough Bakehouse, a sister concept to Light on the Sugar, is coming to Audubon Park
Cronuts, schmonuts. They’re, like, soooo 2013, amirite? Who’s ready for some cruffins?!? How about some cruffles?!? Well, you’ll soon be able to indulge in these kin de croissants when Sugar Dough Bakehouse opens in Audubon Park this summer. Owners Yixi Qiu and Wen Pan, who run super-popular, Insta-famous creampuffery Light on the Sugar at the…
Orlando Fringe Festival 2021 reviews: ‘Always Now,’ ‘Good Girl Gone Single,’ ‘Josie & Grace’ and ‘Kidnapping Amy’
Always Now BYOV: Häos on Church, $12 Dancer Michelina Moen, who will be familiar to fans of VarieTease, puts herself through a torture test and emerges with flying colors in her improvisational solo show Always Now. Prior to each performance, audience members are invited to write down answers to questions randomly selected from a deck…
Universal Orlando no longer requiring guests to wear masks
In a move that amounts to a full removal of their mask policy, Universal Orlando announced that fully vaccinated guests will not be required to wear masks anywhere on the grounds of their theme parks. The park shared that they will not require proof of vaccination from guests who wish to walk around maskless, effectively…
Latin fusion restaurant Guava Grill is the latest offering from the former owner of Vinyl Arts Bar
Longtime fans of the many permutations of Vinyl Arts Bar will have to head a little ways out of downtown to see what Wilson Santos is up to these days. His new Latin fusion restaurant Guava Grill, located on Orlando’s South-East side, just opened its doors and it is ready to receive hungry crowds from noon…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ social media crackdown law faces first lawsuit
Describing the law as a “frontal assault on the First Amendment,” two online industry groups filed a federal lawsuit Thursday seeking to block a measure pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to crack down on large social-media companies. NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association want a judge to prevent the law from taking effect…
Florida beaches ranked among best in America by Dr. Beach
Stephen “Dr. Beach” Leatherman, a coastal scientist and professor at Florida International University, has been ranking sand for over 30 years, and this year Florida wasn’t well represented on his annual list. Chosen by a 50 point criteria, which includes things like noise levels, traffic, smell, general access, algae in the water, rip currents and…
You win, OK? Floridians will be able to use their hazard lights during rainy weather starting July 1
Sometimes things are wrong for so long that the powers-that-be decide to make it right rather than correct the behavior. It’s what happened with the word “literally” a few years back. Now, the same reasoning is aiding folks who flip on their hazards in rainy weather. Currently, driving with hazard lights on when it is…
Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, George Floyd’s brother endorse Natalie Jackson in race for Val Demings’ seat
The highest-profile name running for the soon-to-be vacated seat of Florida congresswoman Val Demings is undoubtedly ex-state attorney Aramis Ayala. However, one of Ayala’s challengers just secured a fairly high-profile endorsement from civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Philonise Floyd, the brother of George Floyd. In the new clip supporting attorney Natalie Jackson, Crump and…
Orlando Museum of Illusions hosting “After Hours” event to celebrate Pride Month
Instagram-ready photos are hard to come by at proper Florida Pride celebrations. It’s approximately a million degrees out and there’s no guarantee that the draconian fun-haters at Instagram won’t pull your photo for not being PG. Luckily the Museum of Illusions has you covered. The Icon Park attraction is hosting an “Illusion After Hours” event…
Walt Disney World expects to be full by the end of the year
Walt Disney World could approach full capacity by the end of the year, Walt Disney Company CEO Robert Chapek said during the JPMorgan 49th Annual Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference on Monday. Chapek said his team anticipates “low double-digit growth” as the company follows federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention coronavirus operating guidelines,…
Arkansas chain Slim Chickens eyeing outpost in Orlando
A new report from the Orlando Business Journal claims that Orlando is getting yet another chicken chain. Joining a downtown Huey Magoo’s, a long-promised Jollibee’s and a rumored chicken finger outlet from Louisiana-based Raising Cane’s, it looks like Slim Chickens is coming to our city. The Arkansas-based chain is reportedly talking to landlords in Orlando. A…
Orlando’s 4th of July fireworks are returning to Lake Eola in 2021
Mayor Buddy Dyer just shared some great news for patriotic families and firework fanatics alike. After having to cancel the 4th of July fireworks at Lake Eola last year because of the pandemic, Dyer shared that the event would return this year. The 44th Annual Fireworks at the Fountain event at Lake Eola Park is…
John Morgan’s marketing department argued over a nationwide dick joke. Half of them were later fired
While many employees were told it was due to “restructuring,” the staffing purge followed months of external and internal grumbling over “Size Matters.”
Orlando ranks as one of the best cities for naked gardening in the U.S.
Orlando is one of the top 10 cities in the U.S. for naked gardening, according to a new survey. The report to celebrate World Naked Gardening Day (it’s real and it’s spectacular) graded cities on metrics that included per-capita nudist population, legal friendliness to nudity and urban gardening, and, of course, cooperative weather. Orlando scored high…
Universal Orlando theme parks raise starting wage to $15/hour
In a win for their thousands of employees in Central Florida, Universal theme parks announced that they are raising their starting pay to $15/hour for all entry-level employees on June 27. The raise will immediately give the park’s lowest-paid workers a $2/hour raise from their current base rate of $13/hour. The park also shared that…
Cozy new Winter Park shop KOS offers coffee for a cause
In spite of how you might want to pronounce it, KOS (choosekos.com) is offering the opposite of anarchy in their new Winter Park shop. The coffee shop and goods store takes its name from the Norwegian word “koseling,” which roughly translates to coziness, and they try to emulate that feeling in their warm and bright…
Study finds that Orlando consumers are ravenous for plant-based meat and dairy products
For vegetarians, vegans and sundry non-carnivores, is Orlando becoming Plantlando? According to Instacart’s newly released “Plant Power” report, the answer may be yes. After crunching the numbers, Instacart found Orlando among the front of the pack as one of the fastest-growing markets for snapping up plant-based meat and dairy substitutes. Of course, West Coasters led…
True blue: Amy Ray of Indigo Girls talks about heading back out on the road and playing Orlando’s Frontyard Festival
Indigo Girls, the duo of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, are set to play the Frontyard Festival in downtown Orlando this weekend, and peeping the current schedule they look to be the last big touring act to do so. If this is indeed the last hurrah for the Frontyard Festival, it’s one hell of a note…
Florida Republicans delight in move that will push Floridians back into dangerous, low-wage work
Florida Republican leaders touted the state’s economy Wednesday and said they expect businesses to boost hiring as additional federal unemployment benefits end in the coming weeks. “We have emerged from the pandemic. At least, I feel like we’ve emerged from the pandemic,” state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said while appearing at the Florida Chamber…
Alden Global saddles ‘Orlando Sentinel’ parent company with $278 million in debt following sale
Alden Global Capital’s purchase of the parent company of the Orlando Sentinel is already looking ominous for our local paper of record. It appears Alden has made their new newspaper group responsible for a portion of the $633 million cost of the sale. Tribune Publishing is now on the hook for $278 million in debt,…
Pride book sale coming to Orlando Public Library next month
If you’re still looking for ways to celebrate Pride Month, a Pride book sale is coming your way. The Orange County Library System will host a sale of LGBTQ+ books from June 1 to June 30 on the third floor of the Orlando Public Library. The summer book collection will range from fiction to non-fiction,…
CAIR calls for ethics investigation into Florida Rep. Randy Fine following bigoted remarks against Palestinians
Following repeated instances of using inflammatory and bigoted language against Palestinians, the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for an ethics investigation into Brevard County representative Randy Fine. Over the last month, Fine has repeatedly posted to social media in ways that describe Palestinians in Gaza as less than human. While…
Bad vibrations: Lake Nona makes surveillance deal with Japanese tech company Hitachi
As the Lake Nona development continues to push Orlando’s sprawling borders outward, builders and agents are looking at how to keep the place from becoming yet another car-choked mess. With that in mind, the developers behind the project have signed on with Japanese tech giant Hitachi to observe and analyze the way that people move…
Orlando’s Sideward Brewing to debut Omakase Lager at Celery City Craft in Sanford this weekend
White wine is traditionally the drink of choice if you’re having fish, but Sideward Brewing wants you to reach for one of their lagers next time you get a sushi roll. The brewery teamed up with beloved pop-up Sushi & Seoul to create a crisp new beer called Omakase Lager. For the unfamiliar, omakase is…
CDC urges continued masking on public transit
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that people two weeks out from receiving their last dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can interact with others without a mask on, and without social distancing. However, COVID-safe behavior will have to continue on public transit, even in states such as Florida that have ended mask…
Winter Haven man wins $5 million on scratch-off ticket
A 28-year-old Winter Haven man hit it big on a scratch-off ticket that he purchased from a Davenport gas station. The $20 “200x The Cash” ticket paid out its maximum prize to James Fuchs, who claimed it at Orlando’s lottery office. Fuchs purchased the ticket at the Discount Beverage at 304 U.S. Highway 17-92 North.…
Former State Attorney Aramis Ayala, Rep. Randolph Bracy announce runs for Val Demings’ House Seat
Several Central Florida politicians have announced their plans to run for current US House Rep. Val Demings’ seat in Congress. Former State Attorney Aramis Ayala, who made headlines for opposing capital punishment under the governorship of Rick Scott, announced on Wednesday morning that she would run for Demings’ seat. While Demings hasn’t announced a Senate…
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs gambling bill into law
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed into law a series of gambling-related measures approved by state legislators during a special session held earlier this month. One of the bills (SB 2-A) authorized a 30-year gambling deal, known as a “compact,” inked by the governor and Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr. in April.…
Orlando concert picks this week: LTJ Bukem and Stanton Warriors, Bongus, Kimball Collins
This week, Memorial Day weekend and the bombshell CDC announcement relaxing social recommendations will collide. Sure, we’re all adults here, but we all coexist in the same society and all’s not conquered yet. So be cool, be understanding of everyone and take it slowly. Atom Dive, Fond, the Amphetamines: This bill is one of the…
What to watch this week: ‘High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine transformed America’ on Netflix
Premieres Wednesday: Baggio: The Divine Ponytail — Italian football great Roberto Baggio is the subject of a documentary profile that places special emphasis on his sometimes-adversarial relationship with coaches. But I mean, who are you going to fight? The other team? (Netflix) Ghost Lab — Two young doctors working in a Thai hospital make it…
Things to do in Orlando, May 26-June 1: Fitz and the Tantrums, Indigo Girls,
Our selections of the best stuff to do this week. Wednesday, May 26 Frontyard Festival: Sammy Hagar & the Circle The Red Rocker’s other (not Van Halen), other (not Montrose) musical project plays the second of two nights at the FF. The supergroup also features Jason Bonham and Michael Anthony. 7:30 p.m., $70-$150. Dr. Phillips…
Fitz and the Tantrums want to give Orlando ‘all the feels’
In early 2020, Michael “Fitz” Fitzpatrick of Fitz and the Tantrums was looking forward to touring in earnest to promote the group’s latest album, All the Feels. But like virtually every music act, any plans for 2020 were turned upside down by the pandemic. In Fitzpatrick’s case, he was able to use his suddenly open…
The 10 best shows currently onstage at Orlando Fringe Festival 2021
I’ve “only” reviewed 48 shows so far in the past week, but these are my 10 favorites. Be sure to check out all the 2021 Orlando Fringe Fest reviews before you go. The 500 List Pink Venue, $12 Modern American troubadour Ryan Adam Wells makes a welcome return to the Orlando Fringe with a “sidequel”…
Thrive cocktail bar/eatery opens downtown, Brazilian-American pizzeria 14 Bis opens in MetroWest, Midici in Maitland closes
OPENINGS: Tokyo Ramen Fusion Cuisine has opened a second outpost on East Colonial Drive near Rouse Road … Nearby, Las Carretas Mexican Restaurant has opened in the Publix plaza at University Boulevard and Goldenrod Road … Thrive Cocktail Lounge & Eatery has opened at 13 S. Orange Ave. downtown in the old Avenue Gastrobar space.…
The Supreme Court is about to seize its chance to kill Roe v. Wade
From the second news of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death broke, this was the play. This was the reason Republicans muscled through Brett Kavanaugh despite the sexual misconduct allegations against him. It was why Mitch McConnell invented a rule to block Merrick Garland in 2016, abolished the judicial filibuster to install Neil Gorsuch, then ignored his…
